flashed a warning look at Charlie Black as Miss Mason
fumbled with the papers that covered the book.

"I'll pass it down the aisle," said Miss Mason, drawing out the
book. "Now, Ellen, this first picture was drawn by an artist
named----"

Ellen Glover looked up startled. Miss Mason's voice had stopped so
suddenly when she opened her book that the effect was as if some one
had closed a door sharply while some one else was speaking.

"Her face was just as white," Meg afterward told her mother, "and then
it got red and her eyes snapped like--like anything!"

Indeed Miss Mason's eyes were snapping fire. Tim Roon for the first
time in his life was actually afraid of his teacher.

"Some vandal has destroyed this beautiful book," said Miss Mason,
speaking coldly and slowly. "It was almost priceless. I want each one
of you to come up to the desk and see how it has been ruined. First
grade, put away your work."

A sudden shiver of excitement went over the room. No one had ever seen
Miss Mason so angry before. And yet she was very quiet and still about
it. Aisle by aisle, she made them come up and look at the book,
insisting that each child take it in his hands and examine the spots
of ink. When the last pupil had returned to his seat she spoke again.

"This was done during recess," she said. "I did not leave the room
this noon. If any one in this class was in the room at recess this
morning, raise his hand."

Not one hand went up.

Miss Mason sighed impatiently.

"I see you are determined to make it hard for me," she commented.
"Very well, if we do no work this afternoon, we'll get to the bottom
of this."

Then beginning with the girls, she asked each one if she had been in
the room during recess time. As it happened not a girl had entered the
room between the bells. An interesting game of tag had taken the
attention of both grades in the girls' half of the school yard.

Then Miss Mason began with the boys. Each one denied that he had been
in the room till she reached Bobby.

"Yes, I was up here," he admitted.

"Why didn't you raise your hand?" snapped Miss Mason. "What were you
doing?"

"I came up to get my ball. I had left it in my desk," answered Bobby.

Unfortunately for him, he looked confused and cross, and Miss Mason
had some grounds for thinking he might know more than he cared to
tell.

"When were you up here?" she persisted.

Tim Roon listened eagerly for Bobby's reply. He was beginning to
won